Extension table slide assembly



March 11, 1947. R. R.'LOWE EXTENSION TABLE SLIDE ASSEMBLY Filed June 19, 1945 2 heets-Sh et 1 SLIDE OPEN l-SLIDE CLOSED INVENTOI? N H w w W 2 A W.

March II,' 1947. R. R. LOWE EXTENSION TABLE SLIDE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-S11E01; 2

Filed June 19, I945 I L UIE 41 3 92 24 24 mxx INVENTOR E. w MT m 5% p w i H A n PW Patented Mar. 11, 1947 UNlTED STATES PATENT, OFFICE EXTENSION TABLE SLIDE ASSEMBLY Richard R. Lowe, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Beatrice Minnie Lowe, Ruth Marie Jacobs, Clifiord Osborne Lowe, Hazel Adelaide Berg, and himself, as joint tenants Application June 19, 1945, Serial No. T600266 6 Claims. (01. 311-73) all length of the device when the tongues are in open position and when they are in closed position;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the device showing an equalizing assembly operatively connected thereto; and

Figure 7 is a section taken along the line 'l-'I of Figure 6.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without In the present form of the invention the stops on the H-shaped member are struck up from the material forming the member and this adapts the device to be made from sheet metal stampings. The tongues also have stops struck up from the material from which they are formed and these stops do not extend to the ends of the tongues as shown in my co-pending case.

In the co-pending case, each tongue is reinforced by a longitudinally extending and centrally disposed rib that is arcuate in cross section. Each tongue in my present invention has channelshapedrunners that are slidably received in the channels of the central member and therefore the channel-shaped runners provide the necessary rigidity for the tongue and further provide the necessary space between the tongue and the central member in which the tongue stops move.

A still further object of my present invention is to provide an equalizing means for the tongues and central member, this means including an equalizing gear rotatably carried by the central member and meshing with racks that are supported by the table top rails. I provide novel means for maintaining the gear in mesh with the teeth of both racks at all times.

- Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the central s pport;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the tongues;

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the tongues operatively connected to the central member and struck up from the side 3, the stop extending outdeparting from the spirit and scope of the in- Vention.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a central H-shaped member indicated generally at A and this member is composed of two identical U-shaped members shown at B and BI. The upper member B is channel-shaped and has a central web I and side portions 2 and 3. The side 2 has a channel 4, while the side 3 has a channel 5.

The lower U-shaped member BI is inverted and has a central web 6 thatabuts the web I and is spot welded or otherwise secured thereto. Side portions I and 8 of the member Bl extend from thevweb 6 so that the portion 1 lies in the same plane as the portion 2 of the member B and the portion 8 lies in the same plane as the portion 3. The side portion 1 has a channel 9 that faces the channel 4, while the side portion 8 has a channel in that faces the channel 5. The resulting structure is H-shaped in cross section with the pair of channels 4 and 9 being adapted to slidably receive a tongue and the pair of channels 5 and I0 being adapted to receive another tongue. The

- members B and BI are of identical construction.

Before describing the structure of the tongues it is best to set forth the position of the stops provided on the side portions of the central member A. The U-shaped member B has a stop I l wardly from the outer surface of the side portion a 3. The stop I I is punched out of the side and further illustratin how the device is attached to a table construction;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

' Figure 5 is a schematic view comparing the overv has an arcuate edge Ila that functions as the stop. "The stop II is disposed at one end of the side 3.

The side portion2 has a similarly shaped stop l2 disposed at the opposite end of the member B, see- Figure 1, and the stop I2 has an arcuate edge lie that is struck up from the side 2 and projects outwardly from the outer surface of the side. In like manner the U-shaped inverted member Bl has a stop l3, struck up from theside portion 8 and having an arcuate edge l3a. The other side, 1 of the-member Blhas a stop I4 with an arcuate edge Ma and the stop It is disposed at the opposite end of the member BI from that carrying the stop 53. It will b seen that when the member Bi is turned into an upright position, the stops l3 and M will be arranged in the same positions as the stops H and l2. 7

In Figure 2 I show a tongue C that has a 'channe] shaped runner l5 disposed along one edge and a channel shaped runner l6 disposed along the other edge. A central web I! interconnects the channel runners l5 and i5 and this central web has two stops i8 and i3 disposed near the center of the tongue. stop It will have its arcuate edge l9a positioned to the right of the central line 20 that bisects the length of the tongue, see Figure 2, and the stop l8 will have its arcuate edge 16a spaced from the stop 13 and lying on the same side. of the line '25 as the stop I3, but being disposed closer to the center line than the stop l9. 1

Figure 3 shows the central member A with the tongue C'slidabiy received in the pair of channels which includes the top channel t. A second tongue Cl is similar in construction to the tongue 0 and is slidably received in the pair of channels which includes the top channel 5. The tongue 0 has openings 2! therein for receiving, screws 22 that connect a table top rail 23 to the tongue. In like manner a tabletop rail 2% is connected to the tongue C! by screws 25. Figure 3 further shows a table top section as secured to the table top rail 23 by screws 2? and a table top section 28 secured to the table top rail 24 by screws 29. The central member A has its inverted U-shaped member BI receiving the side .railtl) of the table and in this way the device is supported by the table frame. There are two of these devices for each table, one being mounted on each side rail 30 of the table frame and before describing the operation of the device, it might be well to set forth the construction of the equalizing mechanism which is used in'connection therewith. Referring to EiguresG and 7 itwill be seen that the side rail 39 of the table frame not only supports the central member A but also supports a strap 3| that has one end connected to the side rail 30 bya screw 52 and has its other end provided with an arcuate slot 33 that slidably receives a screw 3%, the screwbeing secureclto the side rail 39. The side rail is recessed at 35 for receiving the member A. 1 I

Figures 6 and 7 show the strap 3i rotatably carrying an equalizing gear 36 that is rotatably connected to the strap by a rivet 31 or other suitable fastening means. The table top rail 23 has a rack 38 secured to its top and this rack meshes with the gear 35. In like manner, the

table toprail as has a rack 39 on its top which meshes with the gear 36. I

One feature of the equalizing device is the novel means I employ for maintaining the gear- 36' in constant mesh with the racks 38 and 3s. Angle-shaped guard members 40 and M arosecured to the table top rails 23 and 24, respectively, by screws 42 and 43. The guard members 4!] and ll overlie the teeth of the racks 38 and 39 and therefore overlie the -tooth portions of the gear tt that actuallymesh with the racks. This feature is clearly shown in Figure Grand the In actual practice the,

4 can move laterally if necessary andhave its teeth mesh with the racks at all times.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of th device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. v V

Figure 3 shows the extensiontable slide assembly in closed position with the table top sections 26 and 28 abutting each other and the tongues C and Cl extended so that the stop '19 on the tongue 0 strikes the stop It on th member A and the stop is on the tongue Cl strikes thestop i3 on the member A. Figure 5 shows the position of the tongues C and Cl when they arein closed position and shows the over all length of the device extending over a greater distance than when the tongues are in open posi-,

- tion.

.Inopening the table, the table top sections 26 and 23 are pulled apart and will carry with them the tabletop rails 23 and M, respectively. The

rail 23 will move the tongue C along the m'ember A so that the tongue will be projecting from the-right hand end of the member A when looking at Figure 5 rather than from the left hand 'end. In the same, way the rail 24 will move the tongue Cl so that it will project from theleft hand end of the member A and the stop I8 on the tongue Cl will engage with the'stop H on the member A. A greater support is therefore provided for the tongues C and Cl when the table sections are in openposition than when they are inclosed position. It is obvious that a greater support is needed for. the table top sections. when they are open than when they are closed.

The equalizing mechanism shown in Figures,

- 6 and 7 will cause the tongues C and Cl to move posite corners of each side, tongues slidable'in members it ands l prevent the gear from jumpuniformly during the opening and closing of the table top sections. The guard members 43 and 4! will hold the gear 36in mesh with the racks 38 and 38v at. all times. A perfectly balancedtable is made possible at all times by using the equalizing mechanism whether the table top sections 7 are in open or closed position or anyintermedi I ate position. R

I claim: T

1. In an extension table slide assembly, a can tral support having channels on opposite rec tangular sides and stops arranged at diagonally opposite corners of each side, and tongues slidable in the channels and each having two stops for contacting with the first-named stops, both tongue stops being disposed near the midway point between the tongue ends and within the same 'half of the tongue, one tongue stoploeing farther removed from. the midway point than the other tongue stop, the tongues being movable.

beyond either endoi the central support and the tongue stops cooperating with the first-named stops for limiting the outward movement of the 1 I tongues, the tongue stops bein'g'so designed that the tongues will project a greaterdistanceebe yond the central support when the tongues are moved in opposite directions into one extreme position than when they are extended inQPDosite directions into the other extreme position.

2. In an extension table slide assembly, a central support having channels on opposite rectangular sides, stops arranged at diagonally opthe channel and having stops struck up from the side of the tongue which willfacethe cen-j tral support, each tongue stop'beingaligned with one of the central support. stops and designed to I strike the first-named central supportstopsior limiting the movements or the tongues in' both directions, one tongue stop being positioned adjacent to the tongue center and the other tongue stop being positioned farther from the tongue center and on the same half of the tongue as the first tongue stop, the tongues being movable beyond either end of the central support and the tongue stops cooperating with the first-named stops for limiting the outward movement of the tongues, the tongue stops disposed nearest the tongue centers when contacting with their central support stops preventing the tongues from extending so far beyond the ends of the cen tral support as when the other tongue stops contact with their central support stops.

3. In an extension table slide assembly, a central support having channels on opposite rectangular sides, stops arranged on the outer faces of the sides and being disposed at diagonally opposite corners of each side, tongues slidable in the channels and having their central portions throughout the lengths of the tongues spaced from the rectangular sides so that the tongues can move over the stops, stops struck up from the central tongue portions and extending into the space provided between the central tongue portion and the rectangular side, one stop on each tongue being positioned substantially midway between the tongue ends so that substantially one-half of each tongue will project beyond opposite ends of the central support when the tongue stops contact their associate stops on the central support, the other stop on each tongue being spaced from the tongue center so that less than one-half of each tongue will project beyond opposite ends of the central support when the tongues have been moved along the lengths of the channels and project beyond the central support ends opposite from that from which they formerly projected.

4. An extension table slide comprising a central support composed of two identical U-shaped parts with their central webs brought into abutting relation and their sides facing away from each other and forming contiguous rectangularly-shaped sidewalls, each side of each U-shaped part having a, channel along its free edge and a stop disposed adjacent to one end, the stops on each U-shaped part being disposed at opposite ends, and two identical tongues, each having channels along their sides slidably received in the channels of the central support and having longitudinally extending webs disposed between the tongue channels and spaced from the support sides, each tongue having stops struck up from the web and extending inwardly, said tongue stops contacting the support stops and limiting the movement of the tongues in both directions, the tongue stops permitting the tongues to extend a predetermined distance beyond each end of the central support.

5. In combination, a central support having channels on opposite rectangular sides, tongues slidable in the channels and being movable beyond either end of the central support, means for limiting the movement'of the tongues in both directions, a table top rail carried by each tongue, a rack carried by each rail, a table frame for supporting the central support, a, strap carried by the frame and extending along the top of the support, an equalizing gear rotatably carried by the strap and meshing with the racks, and angleshaped guards carried by the rails and overlying the rails, said guards also overlying the portions of the gear meshing with the racks, whereby the gear will be held in mesh with the racks at all times.

6. In combination, a, central support having channels on opposite rectangular sides, tongues slidable in the channels and being movable beyond either end of the central support, means for limiting the movement of the tongues in both directions, a, table top rail carried by each tongue, a rack carried by each rail, 9, table frame for supporting the central support, a strap carried by the frame and extending along the top of the support, an equalizing gear rotatably carried by the strap and meshing with the racks, and angleshaped guards carried by the rails and overlying the rails, said guards also overlying the portions of the gear meshing with the racks, whereby the gear will be held in mesh with the racks at all times, said strap being free to move laterally within predetermined limits so that the gear can adjust itself while rotating between the two racks.

RICHARD R. LOWE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

